Data communication networks may include various computers, servers, hubs, switches, nodes, routers, proxies, and other devices coupled to and configured to pass data to one another. These devices will be referred to herein as “network elements.” Data is communicated through the data communication network by passing protocol data units, such as frames, packets, cells or segments, between the network elements by utilizing one or more communication links. A particular protocol data unit may be handled by multiple network elements and cross multiple communication links as it travels between its source and its destination over the network.
There are many types of media, such as voice, audio, video, and data, that may be transmitted on a communication network. Initially the different types of media were carried on different networks. More recently, these various types of media have started to converge so that they may be carried on a common network. To accommodate this, many network providers have added capacity to the core of the network to ensure that there is sufficient bandwidth in the core to carry all the traffic. At the same time, it is common to oversubscribe the access networks to reduce costs and increase revenues generated by the access networks. Unfortunately, these practices are contradictory to maximizing service quality and minimizing network cost.